1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to information technology (IT) racks and in particular to configuration and design of air flow systems in IT racks.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system (IHS) generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Large scale IHSes, such as servers, are often inserted placed within an information technology (IT) rack which is designed to support the weight and other requirements of the various IT components inserted within the rack. Among the considerations of these rack-based implementations is that of heat, as the IT components generate a significant amount of heat during operation and therefore must be cooled to remain functional. The cooling required for these rack mounted systems is conventionally provided by external fans place in or around the rack and which pull or push cooling air through the rack from a cold aisle (typically the front of the rack) to a hot aisle (typically the rear of the rack). With the current configurations of racks, some of the heated exhaust air circles back to the front of the rack, causing an increase in temperature of the cooling air on the cold aisle and ultimately reducing the cooling efficiency of the cooling system altogether. The back flow or re-circulation of hot air from the hot aisle back to the front of the rack can occur at the sides of the rack, which is often placed a few feet away from an adjacent rack within a rack server farm with a plurality of racks.